


Warm wine

by Ostodvandi



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: Alcohol, Fluffy, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Valbar appears but just mentioned, kamui has Complicated Gay Feelings, kind of, leon is tired of that bullshit, light angst i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 07:52:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14208582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ostodvandi/pseuds/Ostodvandi
Summary: This is just one of the multiple times Kamui has visited Leon on his way to god knows where. There's something bringing him back to this house, that same something that makes Leon smile every time he hears him knocking at his door (or window).





	Warm wine

**Author's Note:**

> Oooooh man. How is it these two only have 13 works on AO3. Y'all blind.  
> Special thanks to my beta, sauntatonttu!

The start of winter is right there, and with it come chilly nights and people rushing towards the warmth of a home at twilight. On a night like this, Leon would be getting ready to have dinner and go to bed, waiting for the next day to come. But that night is going to be different, and he knows it the moment he sees a certain shadow moving behind his window. With a slight smile, Leon picks up a bottle of wine and a pot of spices.

Leon isn’t even startled when he hears knocking, and his eyes light up under the trembling flame of a candle. Leon opens the window, with his eyebrow raised and an exasperated pout on his face.

‘Do you even know what a door is? And how cold it is outside for me to open the window?’

‘Weren’t you the romantic one? Geesh, you’re never happy…’

Leon tries to avoid sharing a smile with him, unsuccessfully. It’s always nice to have visitors, and Leon expected Kamui’s visits a tiny bit more than other people’s. The only exception being probably Valbar.

At least Valbar knows how to use doors, he thinks.

‘Do you have some business around here?’

‘Can’t I just come visit a friend?’

‘Without some money in between? I doubt it, Kamui.’

‘Alright, alright. Yes, I _do_ have some business. But I wouldn’t miss an opportunity to visit.’

‘Awh. Adorable, really. So I guess you're staying for the night.’ Kamui nods, stretching his arms. ‘You're going to help me with dinner, then.’ Kamui grimaces at Leon’s words. ‘Geez, don't make that face. It's free food after all.’

‘Alright, alright…’

 

* * *

 

If there is anything better than a tasty dinner with warm wine at night, it is sharing it with someone. Well, at least that’s what Kamui thinks Leon would say. He doesn’t disagree with it, though. There is a reason why he had started picking Leon’s home as a place to rest when he needed it for his travels, something about Leon being what he could consider… a friend.

“Sure thing, buddy. A friend.” That tiny, annoying voice from the back of his head would never leave him alone, would it. Yes, Kamui knows the limits between friends and lovers, but…

What to call the grey space in the middle? Most people would say that it doesn’t exist, but they’ve been in that zone since… a little after the war ended, actually. When they thought their paths would never cross again, and ironically they were about to get closer than ever.

It frustrates Kamui, not knowing when they started to get so familiar, so close. So warm that he feels the need to come back from time to time. Not to the place specifically, but…

‘Something wrong, Kamui?’

To _him_.

Kamui quickly finishes his glass of wine.

‘Mm?’

‘You were spacing out.’

‘Oh, right. Just thinking of something…’ Leon patiently waits for him to speak. ‘...Wouldn’t you like to travel, Leon?’

‘Mm. Depends on what kind of “travelling” you mean.’

‘I mean for a living. If someone happened to ask you to do that.’

‘Like you?’ Leon smiles, a little dreamily in Kamui’s eyes. ‘Is that some kind of marriage proposition?'

For some reason, the suggestion makes Kamui blush slightly. Probably because of the wine, yes, even if he’s not that weak to alcohol…

‘Just answer the damn question…’

‘Well… It depends.’ Leon sighs, making a more serious expression. ‘I’m very happy here, you know. After that war, and the wound… And Valbar is here too. That person would have to offer me something really special for me to consider it.’

‘...I see.’

‘You always stiffen when I mention Valbar… Don’t worry, I know it’s hopeless.’ His voice doesn’t sound as bitter as it used to, but there’s still a little stain of sadness in it.

‘Mm, yeah, you’ve said that a lot of times. How is that search for the perfect man going, though?’

‘It’s… gotten stale, I guess.’

‘Stale,’ Kamui repeats, in a dry voice.

Leon looks down, and Kamui can’t help but feel guilty for the shadow over Leon’s eyes, even if he manages to crack a smile in the end of an uncomfortable silence.

‘Don’t you have any nice song from faraway lands to sing to me?’

‘You say that like I’m good at singing…’

‘Come on… I’m not going to judge your skills this time. Promise!’

Kamui groans, wondering why he can’t resist indulging that cheerful smile. ‘You promised it. Better keep that.’

Kamui starts singing, making it clear that it’s not exactly his best talent. Leon barely holds back a giggle, and tries to follow the rhythm with his foot, as the previous shadow cast over his eyes vanishes. And, somehow, they end up using the kitchen as their own personal ballroom for the duration of the song Kamui keeps singing just for the sake of making this moment for a bit longer.

 

* * *

 

‘Put that candle out.’ Kamui smiles at how groggy Leon sounds already, and makes his way to the bed through the darkness that fills the room.

‘Sleepy already?’ he murmurs, sitting at the edge of the bed.

‘Mmh.’ Leon sighs. ‘Some of us work during the day… Aren’t you tired too?’

‘Yeah, I guess.’ Slowly, Kamui lies down by Leon’s side. He feels Leon’s tired, yet gentle stare over him even if he can’t see it clearly. ‘So you’re letting me sleep here again.’

‘Mm, I think I can indulge you a bit… since you did help with dinner instead of just lazing around…’

‘Hey, I’m your guest, not your partner for life.’

‘Yes, I guess you’re not… Even if you sneak into this house as you please like it was yours, too.’

Kamui is too scared to tell Leon that this house does feel like his place to go back to. That these occasional stares and smiles, touching Leon’s hands, dancing and everything else are things he finds himself missing an awful lot of times.

He's heard that the night, and darkness in general, makes humans braver. That people say, do and think things they'd never consider under the daylight. It's not the first time he sleeps by Leon’s side, in the same darkness of this room. That familiar moment when the weird thoughts he usually pushes aside flourish in his mind as he imagines Leon’s face in the dark. The very same moment when months ago he kissed Leon for the first time.

Deprived of clear sight and drowning in a thick silence, Kamui surrounds Leon’s waist with his arms, their bodies much closer now. There are no words, only small gestures like Leon’s hand on Kamui’s cheek, or their lips touching in something that can barely be considered a kiss but which makes Kamui’s heart struggle anyway.

He wonders if Leon’s heart has this problem as well. He also wonders if this feeling can be called love, a crush, or if it just doesn’t have a name to it. He doesn’t know if he’ll ever dare to do these kinds of things under the sunlight.

‘Kamui…’ A shiver goes down his spine, like every time Leon whispers his name like this. He’s truly hopeless against it, and he prays Leon never learns how to use it against him.

‘Yeah?’

The answer comes as Leon comes a bit closer, his arm surrounding Kamui’s body as well.

‘Stay at least until dawn…’

‘I’m not that big of an asshole to leave without even saying goodbye. Don’t worry about that.’

‘You better…’ Leon grumbles, and leans in for a kiss. This one is deeper and longer than the previous ones, a kiss that still tastes like warm wine and has the exactly same dizzying effect in Kamui’s brain as real alcohol. ‘Good night…’

Kamui grins, nuzzling Leon’s hair as he falls asleep, leaving the mercenary and his own thoughts alone in this realm.

 

* * *

 

‘Did you pick up everything?’ The sunlight enters the house as Kamui checks his bag for the third time.

‘Yes, I think…’

‘Alright, I’m not going to keep you here any longer.’ Kamui stares at Leon with a slightly offended face. ‘...What is it? I know I don’t look as beautiful as usual right now, but it’s...’

‘I enjoy being here. It makes me quite happy, to be honest.’ Leon’s heart forgets to beat for two solid seconds. ‘That’s why I come back… It makes me happy.’

“Stay, then.” Leon wants to say. But he knows how Kamui is. He’s not the kind to settle down in a specific place, and he has his own personal reasons for this lifestyle. Leon has been trying to convince himself that it’s fine - after all, it’s already better than what he’s been getting so far.

But is it really…

‘It’s nice to hear that. I wish you stayed here longer, like last time.’

Kamui inhales, like he’s going to say something, and fuels Leon’s hopes.

‘Well, I…’ Leon can’t help thinking that he looks adorable when he’s this nervous, even though Leon also feels like he’s about to be deeply disappointed.

‘I just…I know I can’t stop you, Kamui. Or, rather, I shouldn’t. It’s just… I’m tired of situations where I can never win, at least not fully. Do you understand what I mean?’

‘...Yes, yes I do. At least... I think I do.’

Kamui holds his hand, squeezing it, like he’s clinging to him to gain the bravery he needs to say something.

‘...Hey, Leon. When I come back next time…’ He looks away, touching his own hair awkwardly. ‘I’ll bring you something truly special.’

‘...It better be a promise.’

‘Of course it is. Do you have an idea of how hard it was to say it out loud?’ Kamui complains, making Leon chuckle.

‘Alright. But you better come back quickly. My patience has its limits, Kamui.’

‘I know, I know. And I… like you just as annoying as you are.’

Leon huffs, lips shifting into a side smile, as Kamui leans down to give him a short goodbye kiss.


End file.
